Specials

Monday, September 17, 2012

Recalled to Life: Ghosts and the girls who love the Blog Fest

So I hope this story will work for the criteria of the blog fest. Remember to Vote and Check out the other stories on the blog Fest. How to vote: comment at the end of the post. You must have the word "VOTE" in your comment for it to be considered valid. I'll have an author's note about this little story and some other goodies about it coming on Wednesday.

"Mirror, mirror," Astrid whispered looking at the shining reflection of her room, "on the wall." what time was it any way? It didn't matter for her time had stopped, "Show me the one I love above all." The surface rippled making the reflection of the candles dance, then darkness. Astrid sighed. She touched her fingers to the liquid glass and it returned to show her reflection. The light and the purple of her garments made her skin look almost ghostly gray, her eyes which had been blue had been died purple from tears. Her hair which was black, looked purple in the mirror. "I look every part the widow in mourning." she turned her gaze to the rest of the room. It was dark, the thick purple curtains created her artificial night.

On the wall was her husband's likeness. Most the time it was covered by a violet silk cloth, but today the memorial of his loss Astrid had pulled the cloth to look at it.It was a good likeness it captured the secret smile he always had in his blue eyes. His long brown hair tied back out of his face and making his pointed ears stick out. They were pierced according to the rebellious fashion of the time. Three studs in the left ear with a thin chain connecting them. On his shoulder was the his house sidgel: the broken sword.

"Are you truly gone?" she asked the picture. She touched the face, "Should I abandoned hope?" she kissed his panted lips, then rested against his likeness. She may have indulged in tears but foot steps echoed in the hall. Astrid covered the likeness. She couldn't bare for them to take it away like they had the bassinet where the ghost of her son had lingered. She cried when they took it, calling out for the son who had never seen the sun. There was a knock at the door, "Enter." She said.

The door opened, she expected Brin, but it was Coywin, her husband's former servent. "My Lady." He bowed.
"It's been a long time." she said coldly.
"I know," Coywin was the one who took her from her husband's side 18 years ago. "I've come to recall you to life."
Astrid dropped her head with a bitter smile, "I am haunted by my son and husband, there is no life to be recalled to."
Coywin stood and approached her, "M'lady." he said taking her hand, "is his ghost here?"
She did not pull away from him, "He does not come when I call."
"You've tried?"
she nodded.
"And your son?"
She sighed and shook her head.
"M'lady." Coywin leaned in closely, "Do you care to live?"
There was a hidden meaning in those words, Something he couldn't say, something awoke in her that moment, “Yes,”
“Then ride with me.”

Coywin took her outside the city to the hill country then into a hollow hill. Inside was dark, there were no windows. Coywin lit a lantern, "Beware m'lady, it may be shocking." In the back of the hill someone cowered away from the light. He was dressed in rags, he was pale, his hair almost white, his skin nearly blue and seemed transparent.

"What is wrong with him."
"He is caught between worlds." explained Coywin.
"Is he alive?"
"no but niether is he dead."

The material of her violet skirt swished as she moved towards him. "Nuriel?" she asked and reached out to stroke his hair, but her hand passed though him. She jumped back startled.
"They tortured him for so long that his body is giving up. He must be recalled to life."
"How do we do that?"

Coywin took out a piece of black calk, "Please stand over here, till I tell you." he drew a circle around himself and the ghost man cowering in the corner. Coywin sealed the circle with his magic, and the calk circle glowed red to white to gold. "M'lord." he said.
The shade twitched.
"Buried how long?"
The Spector twisted, his eyes and Cheeks were sunken. "Eighteen years." his voice sounded dry and mournful.
"You abandoned all hope of being dug up?"
"Long ago." he shielded his eyes from the candle's light.
"You know you are recalled to life?"
"They tell me so."
"I hope you care to live."
"I can not say." the answer was void of emotion.
"Shell I show her to you." asked Coywin.
The phantom looked at Coywin, "I don't understand."
Astrid began to cry.
"I don't know."
"She is right here m'lord."

The lost soul turned. There was a moment of recognition and the eyes where wide, "No!" he said in a horse whisper, "It will kill me to see her," Tears shook the emaciated body, silent tears of a man broken by years of torture. "Please." he said after several minuets of weeping, "Take me to her."
"Come." he said to Astrid
She came and knelt beside the ghost that was her husband, "M'lord." his looked at her face. at first he didn't recognize her again.
"Is it really you." he asked holding out his hand, "Sometimes they make me see you." he brought the hand to her check the pulled it back hesitantly, "My love, are your real."
"Yes." she said, "I've come to recall you to life."

The hand gained color as it laid on her check. She held his there. It was cold but in the candle light he came to himself became part of the world once more."I had given up hope."
"But I didn't." Tears flowing freely
"My love you are here, this isn't a dream?"
"No. I'm here and I'll never leave your side again." he clung to her, his wife. and she embraced him, her husband. In that hollow hill the lovers were bond together once again never to be separated.

That's it I hope you liked it, Leave a comment or vote. till next time God Speed and Open Roads.

PS check out everyone else's story too!

PPS I have posted an Author's note to go with this story which describes some of the things I was thinking about when I wrote this story.